Rao, Mani

Mani Rao

Mani Rao (b.1965 India) is author of seven poetry books, has been published in journals including Tinfish, Wasafiri, Meanjin, Washington Square, Fulcrum and WestCoastLine, in over a dozen anthologies including Zoland Poetry, Language For A New Century (WW Norton USA), and Sixty Indian Poets (Penguin India). She has performed at literary festivals in Melbourne, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chicago and at the 2006 PEN World Voices in New York. Translations of her poems have been published in Latin, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, French and German. She was Visiting Fellow at the Iowa International Writing program in 2005, and won the 2006 University of Iowa International Programs writer-in-residence fellowship. In Hong Kong, she was cofounder of OutLoud and contributed a poetry segment to RTHK. Mani worked in advertising and television businesses from 1985 to 2004. She lives in Las Vegas.

Renwick, Louise

Louise Renwick

Louise's passion for travel and adventure brought her to Asia and an interest in anthropology, society and culture inspires her writing. After working as an English teacher she now edits and contributes to several Hong Kong-based luxury publications and Haven Books' collection of literature.

Rian, Kirsten

Kirsten Rian

Kirsten Rian's poetry has appeared in national literary journals and anthologies, and was recently nominated for inclusion in the 2008 Best New Poets anthology. She leads workshops internationally, including locations like Sierra Leone and Finland, using poetry as a tool for literacy, healing, and storytelling within the refugee/immigrant and homeless communities. She resides in Portland, Oregon, where she is a Poet-in-Residence through the Literary Arts Writers-in-the-Schools program. She co-authored with Sharon Wood Wortman the anthology, Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass. Also an independent curator and writer, she has coordinated more than 375 exhibitions, and 65 books and catalogues.
Richards, Moira

Moira Richards

Moira's day jobs in South Africa entail the writing of accounting and other business related schools textbooks which is a lot more fun than it might sound. Google keeps track of most of her moonlit work, including dozens of essays on women abuse, even more reviews of woman-authored books and she can also be found lounging about the staff rooms of womenwriters. net and moondance.org—usually sipping tea, sometimes Jack Daniels. In early 2008, Red Hen Press in California published Letters to the World: poems from the Wom-po Listserv a collection of 259 poets spanning 19 countries and five continents that Moira co-edited with a team of women whom she's never met. That project took more than two years to complete and now she's time again she's working on a November 2008 internet festival of women's poetry. (www.wompherence.proboards82.com)
Richardson, Susan

Susan Richardson

Susan Richardson is a poet and freelance tutor of creative writing based in Wales. She has been published in numerous journals and anthologies in the UK, USA and Canada while her full-length collection of poetry, Creatures of the Intertidal Zone, inspired by her journey through Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland in the footsteps of an intrepid 11th- century female Viking, was recently published by Cinnamon Press (This is free verse at its finest—Ann Drysdale). Susan regularly performs her poetry at literary festivals (including Hay, Runnymede and Adelaide), at art exhibition openings, environmental events/conferences and on BBC Radio Wales. She has also toured with her poetic drama, Two of Me Now (Cecil Woolf Publishing, 2000), appearing at the Toronto Summerworks Theatre
Festival and several venues in Finland, courtesy of the British Council. (www.susanrichardsonwriter.co.uk)
Rogers, Kate

Kate Rogers

Canadian poet and educator Kate Rogers has had poetry, essays and reviews published in anthologies and literary magazines in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada and the UK. She has been short-listed twice for the Winston Collins Best Canadian Poem Prize by Toronto literary journal Descant: in 2009 and 2008. Publications include Fifty-Fifty: New Hong Kong Writing, The Asia Literary Review, Dimsum, Pressed, The New Quarterly, Contemporary Verse II, Canadian Women's Studies, The Mad Woman in the Academy and Orbis International. She has traveled extensively in Asia and in Southern Africa. A bilingual collection of her essays about Taiwan, The Swallows' Return, was published in 2006. Her first collection of poetry, Painting the Borrowed House, debuted in Hong Kong in 2008. Kate Rogers teaches English and writing for City University Community College.

Rosengreen, Louise

Louise Rosengreen

Louise Rosengreen was born in 1983 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She has published a volume of poetry in Danish. Her works have appeared in several Danish literary magazines, and in the English anthology auto reverse: young narrative, edited by Edgar Keret. She has a B.A. in History and Danish Literature. At the moment she is studying at a writers' school in Lund, Sweden.

Saxena, Rati

Rati Saxena

Dr Rati Saxena is an eminent Hindi poet, translator and Sanskrit scholar. She has authored several collections of poems in Hindi and two in English (The Serpent Quailing Woman Body and One Window and Eight Bars) and also in Malayalam (in translation). She has written several research articles on Vedic literature and Indology and has published critical studies. Her poems have been translated into different languages. Dr Saxena has translated nine books from Malayalam to Hindi. Translations of some of the most well known Malayalam poems and novels have earned her nationwide recognition. She has written a book on the famous Malayalam poet, Balamaniyamma. She received the coveted Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation in 2000. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Indira Gandhi National Culture and Arts Fellowship, which helped her complete A Seed of Mind: A fresh approach to Atharvavedic study. She is the Director of the poetry festival kritya2008 and Editor of the bilingual journal www.kritya.in. (saxena_pr@asianetindia.com)
Schneider, Linda Leedy

Linda Leedy Schneider

Linda Leedy Schneider is an award-winning internationally published poet and writer, individual poetry and writing mentor, psychotherapist in private practice, and college writing instructor. She facilitates writing groups at Gilda’s Club for people living with cancer. A writer since able to hold a pencil, Linda's volunteer work in orphanages in Albania motivated her to submit her poems and prose for publication. Her work has since been published in hundreds of  literary magazines including Rattle Magazine, The Spoon River Poetry Review, Pudding Magazine, Driftwood Review, Midwest Poetry Review, Miranda Literary Magazine, ONTHEBUS, and The Pedestal Magazine. Linda has written five collections of poetry including” Through the Lattice: Poetry of a Psychotherapist”, Argonne House Press, 2002, and “Through My Window: Poetry of a Psychotherapist,” Pudding House Publications, 2007. She has recently been featured poet at The Back Fence, NYC, Peter Chelnik's Prairie Fire Series, NYC and The Saturn Poetry Reading Series, NYC.  Most  the writers Linda has mentored have been published as well. She is currently editing an anthology of her student's poetry for Finishing Line Press. Linda believes that a regular writing ritual leads to discovery, authenticity, personal growth, and even Joy. She can be reached at loschneide@AOL.com.

Schreyer, Karmel

Karmel Schreyer

Karmel Schreyer is a former English teacher and the author of more than 20 books, ranging from children's (Empress Emi-poo, Peek-a-boo Street) and young-adult fiction (Naomi: The Strawberry Blonde of Pippu Town, An Ordinary Courage: Naomi in Indonesia) to information/novelty (Hong Kong Surprise) and critically-acclaimed history/memoir (By the Banks of the Brokenhead). Karmel contributes to magazines and newspapers, and writes primary-level educational materials for markets in Canada and Asia. Crunchy Cockroach: Phonics Poems for Hong Kong Kids, is her book of phonics poetry popular in Hong Kong schools.

Sengupta, Anindita

Anindita Sengupta

Anindita Sengupta grew up in Mumbai and now lives in Bangalore, India. Her poetry has appeared in Muse India, Talking Poetry, Kritya, Asian Cha and In Other Voices (an anthology by Delhi Poetree). She was the winner of the Toto Awards for Creative Writing in 2008. Anindita draws on myth, archetype and primal imagery to find a new idiom in which to express the changing sensibilities of a country in flux. When not penning verse, she works for the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) and consults with Fida, an international development organisation. She also freelances for The Hindu. Deeply committed to gender issues, she is founder and editor of Ultra Violet (http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com), India's first online community of feminists.
Shaw-d'Auriol, Claudia

Claudia Shaw-d'Auriol

Considered one of Hong Kong's most beautiful and best-dressed women, Claudia Shaw-d'Auriol is of mixed Chinese and Austrian parentage, but is Hong Kong-born and bred. She belongs to the movie dynasty which started the Shaw Studios in 1930. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she has worked extensively in the fashion and luxury goods industry; at present she is the fashion buyer and style ambassador for Chanel. Hailed for her impeccable sense of style, Claudia's refined and simple approach to fashion is also reflected in the way she cooks and entertains: with minimum fuss but maximum flavour. The entire Shaw-d'Auriol family share a love of food, travel, sport and the sea.

Shawwa Abuali, Dania

Dania Shawwa Abuali

Email: publisher@havenbooksonline.com

Publisher Dania Shawwa Abuali started her career in book publishing in New York City, where she edited museum publications for the Pierpont Morgan Library and pop-culture books for Universe, an imprint of Rizzoli Publishing. She came to Hong Kong during the handover in 1997 and then worked as an equity-research editor for major investment banks, primarily Credit Suisse. She was the managing editor of Imprint, an annual anthology of women’s writing, and president of the Women in Publishing Society (www.hkwips.org). After forming Haven Books, Dania helped establish the Independent Publishers of Hong Kong, a fast expanding industry group. She holds a degree in commerce from the University of Toronto and a master’s in English literature from Northwestern University, Chicago.

Sherman, Anna

Anna Sherman

Anna Sherman was born in Arkansas and studied classics at Oxford University. She moved to Asia in 2001 and currently works as a freelance editor.
Shum, Keane

Keane Shum

Keane Shum is a law student in Washington, DC. He wants to be a writer when he grows up. Or Batman. He also loves his mother very much.
Simanovszky, Judith

Judith Simanovszky

A teacher of English by profession, Judith Simanovszky lives and works in a small town in western Hungary. She enjoys writing stories in English and has a collection of her stories of childhood reminiscences published by Pen Press under the title Friendly Stories from Afar. She draws much of her inspiration from her travels and together with her husband she runs a small publishing house focusing mainly on college textbooks on economics.

Slavick, Madeleine

Madeleine Slavick

Madeleine Slavick is a poet and photographer. She has written several books of poetry and non-fiction. Her most recent collection is delicate access, with Chinese translations by Luo Hui. She has lived in Hong Kong since 1988.
Sprengeler, Susan

Susan Sprengeler

As a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Susan works with those who create children's literature. She has authored educational materials for Oxford University Press (China) including English First!, The Oxford Story Tree and The Reading Rainbow. She also created Jumping Jive for the Hong Kong English Festival and most recently another rhyme book, Hong Kong ABCs.

Stapperfenne, Sarah

Sarah Stapperfenne

Sarah Stapperfenne is a student at Ithaca College and a New York Women in Communications Inc. (NYWICI) 2008 scholarship winner. NYWICI published one of her poems in its August newsletter. She is also the poetry editor for the brand-new poetry section of the NYWICI nextBLOG. She has had short stories published, including a publication in Rosebud magazine.
Swami, Sridala

Sridala Swami

Sridala Swami's poetry has appeared in Nthposition, Kritya, Museindia, Chandrabhaga, The Little Magazine, New Quest, Wasafiri and Asian Cha; and in the Talking Poetry anthology 50 Poets 50 Poems, edited by Priya Sarukkai-Chhabria. Her work will appear in the Creative Writing Issue of The South Asian Review (28:3, 2007) and in The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets, edited by Jeet Thayil (Bloodaxe). Three books for very young children, Phani's Funny Chappals, The Flyaway Cradle and Kabadiwala will be published by Pratham later this year. Her first collection of poems, A Reluctant Survivor, was published by
The Sahitya Akademi in June 2007. Swami blogs at The Spaniard in the Works.

Tabios, Eileen R.

Eileen R. Tabios

Eileen R. Tabios is an award-winning Filipino-American poet, fiction writer, conceptual/visual artist, editor, anthologist, critic and publisher. She has released numerous collections—fourteen in print, four on electronic media, one poetry CD, an art essay collection, a poetry essay/interview anthology, and a short story book. Inventor of a poetic form called "hay(na)ku", she has had her poems translated into Spanish, Tagalog, Japanese, Italian, Paintings, Video, Drawings, Visual Poetry, Mixed Media Collages, Kali Martial Arts, Modern Dance and Sculpture. Tabios has edited or co-edited five books of poetry, fiction and essays released in the USA. She also founded and edits the poetry review journal, Galatea Resurrects, a Poetry Engagement. She is also the founder of Meritage Press, a multidisciplinary literary and arts press based in St. Helena, California.
Talbot, Katrin

Katrin Talbot

Australian-born Katrin Talbot has a B.A. from Reed College and an M.S. from UW-Madison. St. Cecilia's Daze, her first collection, has recently been accepted as a chapbook for publication by Parallel Press. Four of her poems and many photographs will appear in the upcoming anthology Empty Shoes: On the Hungry and The Homeless (Popcorn Press). Three poems and several photographs of hers will be published in the upcoming volume of Free Verse. Her poetry has appeared in Anew Magazine and in many Wisconsin poet's calendars. She was selected for a member's subject feature in the Museletter of the Wisconsin Fellowship of poets, in the Epidemic Peace Imagery Project, and in several photography/poetry exhibits, including Symphony in Black and White, and Visions of America, a multi-media classical music show and exhibit she has developed with trombonist Mark Hetzler of the Empire Brass Quintet.
Taylor, Marianne

Marianne Taylor

Marianne Taylor is the recipient of the Allen Ginsberg Award and the Helen A. Quade Memorial Writer's Award. She was a finalist for the John Ciardi Prize for Poetry, the Richard Snyder Memorial Poetry Prize, and the Winnow Press Open Book Award. Her work has been published widely in national journals such as North American Review, Connecticut Review, Nimrod International Journal and many others. She lives in the small town of Mount Vernon, Iowa, with her husband and four sons, and she teaches creative writing and literature at Kirkwood Community College.

Thong, Roseanne

Roseanne Thong

Roseanne Thong was born in southern California but has lived in Asia for more than fifteen years. She has worked as a journalist and a freelance writer, and has taught English at the primary, secondary and university levels in Guatemala, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the US.

Roseanne's stories, essays and poems have appeared in the American Studies Journal, Asian Pacific American Journal, Dalhousie Review, Dimsum, Fiction International, Haunted Hong Kong Stories, Poetry LA, The Louisville Review, Lullwater Review, Northwoods Journal, New Ways, Potato Eyes and Timber Creek Review. Her short story, "Year of the Pig", was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2000.

She has also written several children's picture books, including Round is a Mooncake, Red is a Dragon, One is a Drummer and The Wishing Tree. Three new books – Tummy Girl, Gai See: Chinese Market and Carnival – are scheduled for 2006. Roseanne is currently working on a collection of short stories about Asia.
Tilley, Adrian

Adrian Tilley

Adrian Tilley has been an English teacher for many years, working as a Head of English in the UK and similarly in an international school in Hong Kong. He worked to promote the development of Media Education in the UK, as a teacher, activist and Advisory Teacher and eventually as a Principal Examiner for the largest exam group. Although he no longer teaches, his work includes creative writing and drama projects in schools, and professional development work for teachers. He is a visiting lecturer in Literature at the University of Hong Kong. Other interests include playing guitar, bass and drums for various rock bands in UK and Hong Kong and singing jazz. He has worked professionally as an artist and illustrator. By way of balance, he is a keen golfer and has coaching qualifications in golf and football. Currently, Adrian lives in 500-year-old barn in Devon, UK. Currently working on a second novel, The Damaged, and a third novel, Golden Eye.

Tsang, Phoebe

Phoebe Tsang

Phoebe Tsang was born in Hong Kong, grew up in England and currently resides in Canada. She is the author of the poetry collection Contents of a Mermaid's Purse (Tightrope Books, Canada). Phoebe's poetry has been published in journals and anthologies in Canada, UK, Hong Kong and India. Her chapbooks are Solitaires (Lyricalmyrical Press, 2006) and To Kiss the Ground (Press On! 2007). A professional violinist, she is a multi-genre artist who holds a BSc in Architecture from the University of London. http://www.phoebetsang.com

Tsui, Ronnie Min Ming

Ronnie Min Ming Tsui

Ronnie Tsui Min Ming entered The University of Hong Kong as a music specialist in 2002. Unexpectedly, she became a creative writer instead of a composer. All wonderful experiences, Ronnie believes, come from God; God is Love; Love leads to creation; creations lead to words; and words lead to feeling. Her short story, My Tin, is her experiment in fun. She would like to dedicate the story to her family and friends, with special attention to her beloved, Yuen (a.k.a. Maru), who is her real-life Tin.